Net calorific value (NCV)
The heat released when a unit of fuel burns, excluding the heat lost to water vapour. Used to convert fuel quantities into energy before applying emission factors.
The net calorific value (NCV), also called the lower heating value, is the amount of heat released by burning a unit of fuel, less the latent heat of the water vapour formed. It is expressed as energy per unit of fuel, for example gigajoules per tonne.
NCVs do two jobs in ESG reporting:
- They convert fuel quantities (tonnes of coal, litres of diesel) into energy, for energy disclosures.
- They provide the energy basis for emission factors that are expressed per unit of energy, such as the IPCC 2006 defaults.
Default NCVs come from sources such as the IPCC 2006 Guidelines. Where a fuel’s quality varies, companies often use site-specific values from laboratory certificates or supplier declarations. Whichever you use, record the source.
In Sustano
Sustano’s factor library holds fuel energy factors (NCV), either static or per period, each with its source and vintage. The calculation panel shows the NCV and factor used for every fuel-to-energy-to-emissions step.
Learn more: Carbon accounting
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